


"can we pretend i didn't say that?"

by TheQueenInTheNorth



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 11:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15629970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/pseuds/TheQueenInTheNorth
Summary: a conversation with trip makes robbie rethink what he knows about himself. // tumblr prompt fill





	"can we pretend i didn't say that?"

“You done sulking yet?”Trip asked, sitting down in the booth across from Robbie.

Robbie glared at him.“I’m not sulking.”

“Right.” He was grinning an infuriatingly amused grin.“It just seemed that way. Since you stormed into your corner the moment Lincoln showed up and have been sitting here all alone since.”

“I’ve got no problem with Campbell,”Robbie protested. That much was true, at least. He just hadn’t realised Daisy had a boyfriend. He pulled a face.“There’s just way too many couples here.”

“I hear you. It’s a bit much.” Trip glanced over to the rest of the team, who had indeed mostly coupled up. FitzSimmons, Mack and Elena, Daisy and Lincoln, Bobbi and Hunter - and even Coulson and May were making non-too-subtle eyes at each other. 

Trip turned back and sipped his drink, smiling at Robbie“But the right woman for you is out there. Don’t worry.”

Robbie stared at him incredulously. That was quite possibly the most cliched thing to say. Scratch that - it was definitely the most cliched thing he could have said just now.

“Or the right guy?”Trip offered, misreading Robbie’s silence.

“I’m not gay!”he blurted out, hearing the unwarranted horror in his voice as he said it.

Trip’s eyebrows flew up.“Didn’t say you were. Nor would it be an issue.”

There was a long stretch of uncomfortable silence. Robbie almost expected Trip to just get up and walk away.

“Can we pretend I didn’t say that?”Robbie asked finally, watching the label come off the beer under his fiddling fingers rather than meeting Trip’s eyes.“Or at least that I didn’t say it in that tone?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

When he did dare look up, Trip’s face was unreadable.

* * *

 

For Trip, it really was as if Robbie had never overreacted to the suggestion he might be into guys. He never brought it up nor did he act any different around Robbie. It was a relief. But at the same time, he couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened quite so easily.

He wasn’t homophobic or anything. In fact, his own reaction to Trip’s words had surprised him - and forced him to examine just why he had reacted so strongly.

It wasn’t until he was on a mission with Hunter that things clicked into place. While Robbie was more the quiet type, Hunter liked talking. About anything and everything. Somehow, previous relationships came up, and Hunter told some story about an ex-boyfriend.

About halfway through, Robbie’s confusion seemed to register.

“I’m bi,”Hunter said.

“Oh.”  _ Oh! _ “Cool.”

* * *

 

“Hey,”Robbie said, getting into the observation van Mack had just left. Did his voice sound normal? He was pretty sure his voice didn’t sound normal just then. He cleared his throat.

“Oh, hi.” Trip smiled at him, then looked down at his notes.“I was expecting Bobbie. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, something came up, but she’s good.” That sounded inconspicuous enough, Robbie thought. But by the way Bobbie had grinned at him when he’d asked to switch shifts, inconspicuous might already be out of the window.

They didn’t talk much, time ticking by, the end of Trip’s shift fast approaching.

“About what I said a few weeks ago,”Robbie eventually burst out.

Trip raised an eyebrow at him, amused twinkle in his eyes.“You mean that thing you didn’t say?”

“Yeah, that. So, I’m not gay,”he started. And stopped. The rest of the words refused to come out.  _ What the fuck, Reyes? You practiced this! _

“Do I pretend you didn’t say that again, or?”

Robbie took a deep breath and blurted,“ButI’malsonotnotgay.”

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” Trip leaned closer, distinctly bemused now.

He smelled nice. Why the fuck did he even have to smell that nice? Robbie tried his best to keep his gaze from dipping to Trip’s lips. That was a far too frequent occurrence lately. “I said, I’m also not not gay.”

Understanding flashed across Trip’s face. He smiled brightly.“That’s cool.”

“I guess.” Robbie wet his lips.“I just thought you should know.”

“Well, thanks for telling me. Not really my business, though.” There was a questioning tilt to the last sentence.

Robbie shrugged, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants as discreetly as he could manage.“Could be your business. If you wanted.”

“Robbie Reyes, are you asking me out?”

“Guess I am,”Robbie said.

Trip smiled.“In that case, it’s a yes.”


End file.
